Calibrachoa plant named ‘Kiecawit’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Calibrachoa  plant named ‘Kiecawit’, characterized by its uniform, low spreading, mounded and trailing plant habit; freely and continuous branching habit; dense and bushy plant growth habit; freely and continuous flowering habit; numerous white-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Calibrachoa procumbens cultivar Kiecawit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant, botanically known as Calibrachoa procumbens, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Kiecawit.

The new Calibrachoa is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Venhuizen, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new trailing Calibrachoas with numerous flowers with attractive non-fading flower colors and tolerance to high temperatures.

The new Calibrachoa originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor during in 2001 of two unnamed proprietary Calibrachoa seedling selections. The new Calibrachoa was selected as a single flowering plant from the resulting progeny of the stated cross-pollination by the Inventor in a controlled environment in 2001 in Venhuizen, The Netherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in Venhuizen, The Netherlands since the summer of 2001 has shown that the unique features of this new Calibrachoa are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Kiecawit have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Kiecawit’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Kiecawit’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Uniform, low spreading, mounded and trailing plant habit.     -   2. Freely and continuous branching habit; dense and bushy plant         growth habit.     -   3. Freely and continuous flowering habit, numerous white-colored         flowers.     -   4. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Calibrachoa have larger flowers than plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Calibrachoa differ from the male parent selection in plant habit as plants of the new Calibrachoa are more trailing than plants of the male parent selection. In addition, plants of the new Calibrachoa and the male parent selection differ in flower color as plants of the male parent selection have pale yellow-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Calibrachoa can be compared to plants of the Calibrachoa cultivar Carillon White, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Venhuizen, The Netherlands, plants of the new Calibrachoa differed from plants of the cultivar Carillon White in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa flowered for a longer period of         time than plants of the cultivar Carillon White.     -   2. Plants of the new Calibrachoa flowered more continuously than         plants of the cultivar Carillon White.     -   3. Flowers of plants of the new Calibrachoa were more white in         color than flowers of plants of the cultivar Carillon White.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Calibrachoa.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Kiecawit’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a close-up view of typical flowers and leaves of ‘Kiecawit’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Lompoc, Calif., under commercial practice during the winter in a polycarbonate-covered greenhouse with day temperatures ranging from 21 to 24° C., night temperatures ranging from 15 to 18° C., and light levels ranging from 4,000 to 8,000 foot candles. When the photographs and the description were taken, plants had been growing for about ten weeks with one plant per 10-cm container. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Calibrachoa procumbens cultivar Kiecawit. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Unnamed proprietary Calibrachoa procumbens             seedling selection, not patented.         -   Male parent.—Unnamed proprietary Calibrachoa procumbens             seedling selection, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About two weeks             at 21° C.         -   Time to develop roots.—About three weeks at 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Annual flowering plant; uniform, mounded, low             spreading and trailing plant habit; plants eventually             becoming hemispherical to spherical in shape. Freely and             continuously branching habit with about seven to eight main             lateral branches per plant with lateral branches forming             potentially at every node; dense and bushy plant growth             habit. Vigorous growth habit.         -   Usage.—Appropriate for hanging baskets, window boxes, patio             containers and landscape applications.         -   Plant height.—About 10 cm.         -   Plant diamater, single plant.—About 23 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 20 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Internode length: About 1 cm. Texture: Pubescent; viscid.             Color: 143C.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Before flowering,             alternate; after flowering, opposite; simple. Length: About             4.3 cm. Width: About 1.3 cm. Shape: Elliptic to obovate.             Apex: Broadly acute to rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent;             coarse; viscid. Venation pattern: Pinnate, arcuate. Color:             Developing foliage, upper surface: 144A. Developing foliage,             lower surface: 144B. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface:             146A. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 146B. Venation,             upper surface: 146C. Venation, lower surface: 147C. Petiole             length: About 8 mm. Petiole diameter: About 1.5 mm. Petiole             color: 144A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Salverform flowers; single, axillary.             Flowers face mostly upward or outward and are held above and             beyond the foliage.         -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering, typically about 15 to             16 open flowers and flower buds per lateral stem.         -   Natural flowering season.—Long day responsive; spring until             frost in the autumn; flowering continuous during the             flowering period. Flowers persistent.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About 10 to 14 four days.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flower diameter.—About 3.4 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 3.4 cm.         -   Flower throat diameter.—About 8 mm.         -   Flower buds (showing color).—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter:             About 5 mm. Shape: Elongated oblong. Color: 157A.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five             petals, fused into flared trumpet with distinct clefts             between petal lobes. Petal length from throat: About 1.5 cm.             Petal width: About 1.5 cm. Petal shape: Roughly spatulate or             fan-shaped. Petal apex: Rounded. Petal margin: Entire. Petal             texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, velvety. Color:             Petal, upper surface, when opening: 155B. Petal, lower             surface, when opening: 155A. Petal, upper and lower             surfaces, fully opened: 155D. Flower throat (inside): 150D.             Flower tube (outside): Lighter than 151D. Venation, upper             and lower petal surfaces: Close to 150D.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals             fused at base, star-shaped. Length: About 1.2 cm. Width:             About 2 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color,             immature, upper and lower surfaces: 144B. Color, mature,             upper surface: 146A. Color, mature, lower surface: 146B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2 cm. Width: About 1 mm. Angle:             About 45° to the stem. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent.             Color: 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Five.             Anther shape: Rounded. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther             color: 10B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 8B.             Pistils: Quantity: One. Pistil length: About 9 mm. Stigma             shape: Rounded. Stigma color: 145A. Style length: About             7 mm. Style color: 145D. Ovary color: 145A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Calibrachoa have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Calibrachoa. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Calibrachoa have good garden     performance and have been observed to be tolerant to rain, wind and     temperatures ranging from 8 to 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant named ‘Kiecawit’, as illustrated and described. 